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Ossining trustees hear Culture of Care and college/career readiness updates; administrators flag impending grant expirations
Summary
Administrators detailed district SEL, PBIS, mental‑health staffing gains, expanded college and career pathways and increases in advanced course seats. They warned that significant grant funding supporting mental‑health and GEAR UP programming is ending and urged advocacy to replace it.
Administrators told the Ossining Union Free School District Board of Education on Sept. 17 that district investments in social‑emotional learning (SEL), PBIS and counseling services are yielding measurable improvements, while also warning that several grants that support those services will end and may require advocacy or budget adjustments.
Dr. Decelia Lopez, director of mental and behavioral health, summarized the district's Culture of Care work. She described districtwide implementation of Second Step SEL curriculum at elementary levels, PBIS celebrations, Panorama and DESSA screeners to identify needs, and Multi‑Tier Systems of Support (MTSS) for targeted interventions. Lopez said clinician staffing ratios have improved (from roughly one clinician per 300+ students to about one per 119 students) and that the district has trained clinicians in dialectical behavior therapy and expanded bullying‑prevention and…
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